1
A Right Relationship With the Son of God
1 Peter 2:4-10 (Part 3)
I. Introduction:
A. Turn to 1 Peter 2 and read 4-10
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious [stone] in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,”
8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
B. More I study this passage
1. MORE Privileged I feel about WHAT I HAVE in JESUS CHRIST!
2. MORE SEPARATED I FEEL FROM THE WORLD.
a) With EACH DAY – WORLD knows LESS of the BIBLE
b) Peter ASSUMED these GENTILES knew MUCH of the OT
(1) Wrote this ASSUMING
(a) They KNEW this
(b) COMFORTED BY IT!
c) TODAY – Could you imagine witnessing and someone ASKS – What does it MEAN to be a Christian?
(1) ANSWER: We’re living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
d) What are the BENEFITS of being a Christian?
We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession,
e) EVEN SADDER – MOST CHRISTIANS would find these answers FOREIGN to their thinking!
f) CHRISTIANITY is SOOOO SHALLOW
(1) Start with a UTILITARIAN GENIE GOD who is PRIMARILY WORLDILY MAKE ME FEEL GOOD LOVE
(2) Church = Social club of ACTIVITIES for the WHOLE FAMILY
(3) And, JESUS CHRIST is the PERSON who seems to NEVER GET INVITED to each EVENT
(4) AT LEAST not the JESUS with NAIL holes in His hands and feet AND a SPEAR SCAR in His side
(5) OR
g) Churches are SO DEAD people FILE in-and-out NEVER SLOWING DOWN to KNOW let alone GET INVOLVED with OTHERS – WONDER if CHRIST HAS EVER VISITED THERE!
3. BUT – Peter says that the ONLY WAY to have a VITAL, PERSONAL, ONGOING Relationship with JESUS CHRIST is
a) THROUGH HIS WORD
b) CONTINUALLY COMING BACK for more and more as you TASTE His KINDNESS
c) KNOWING that APART FROM HIM – you are NOTHING
(1) I.e. EVERYTHING that you are is because of EVERYTHING that HE IS!
d) ALL of this WHILE He is WORKING His GREAT ETERNAL PLAN THROUGH each ONE OF US!
e) ALL of this OLD TESTAMENT truth is MEANT to be UNDERSTOOD, MEDITATED on – TO ENRICH / GROW your relationship WITH JESUS CHRIST
4. We think of Jesus Christ MOSTLY from the NT view we have of HIM.
a) From His life in the Gospels
b) This man who walked, was severely persecuted, and died and rose again.
c) WE CAN ACTUALLY MODERNIZE HIM when this is ALL we see – ALMOST put an AMERICAN face on Him.
d) BUT that’s NOT WHO HE WAS – PHYSICALLY or SPIRITUALLY!
5. First – PUT A GOOD JEWISH FACE ON HIM.
a) With a great Jewish Family behind Him.
b) More in common with David, Ruth, Rahab, Jacob, than with US!
c) Do you have any REALLY JEWISH friends – REALLY CULTURALLY JEWISH?
(1) They’re different than us!
6. Second, - PUT the ROBES of A PRIEST on HIM
a) Do you understand what an OT priest was and what they DID daily?
(1) Like you understand what YOUR SPOUSE or PARENTS do daily?
b) He IS the GREATEST Priest and now we are priests!
c) Do you understand what that means?
7. Third, - PUT a CROWN on HIS HEAD – He’s a KING
a) His throne will be FOREVER.
b) Do you understand the OT King and His Role?
c) He is the GREATEST KING – KING of KINGS and LORD OF LORDS
d) Now you are ROYALTY.
e) Do you understand what that means?
8. IF we DON’T KNOW these things
a) HOW CLOSE ARE WE to our SAVIOR and LORD?
b) HOW much can the WORLD KNOW if WE DON’T?
9. Keep that in mind as we continue this RICH passage tonight!
C. Proposition: The elements of a right relationship with the Son of God is
1. Through the word of Christ
2. Because of who He is
3. Based on Continuously drawing near to the Christ of the Word!
4. Building you up as living stones
5. NEXT WEEK: Precious Value to you who believe
II. A right relationship with the Son of God is Through the word of Christ
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if (since) you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
1. V.3-4 could read: SINCE you have tasted the kindness of the Lord KEEP ON COMING BACK to the WORD to GET MORE OF JESUS CHRIST.
a) KEEP COMING BACK FOR THE CHRIST OF THE WORD.
2. a relationship with Jesus Christ IS THROUGH IS WORD!
a) You come to the WORD to spend time with Christ!
b) Reading Scripture = READING A LIVING BOOK
c) COME HERE TO SPEND TIME WITH JESUS CHRIST!
d) The LIVING, ABIDING, ENDURING WORD of GOD – JESUS CHRIST!
B. Transition.
1. So, First, a Right relationship with the Son of God is THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD…
2. Second…
III. A right relationship with the Son of God is because of who He is
A. Already Seen – Passage is FIRST / FOREMOST about GOD’S ELECT / PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE – THE LIVING STONE – JESUS CHRIST
B. The WHOLE point of this passage TO US: EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE IS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS.
C. He’s a living stone, we are “as living stones”
1. Point: I am ONLY as a LIVING STONE because I AM IN HIM who is A LIVING STONE
D. He’s elect of God, we are elect of God
1. Point: The ONLY reason YOU and I are CHOSEN is BECAUSE He was first Chosen! HIM FIRST!
2. Jesus Christ is the chosen / elect of God!
a) See that word “choice” in v.4 & 6? = ELECT
b) V.9 CHOSEN! = ELECT
3. GREATNESS is IN HIM – NOT IN US!
E. And of course: 1 Peter 2:9…
1. “A royal Priesthood”
a) He’s king and makes us royalty!
b) He’s the High priest and we become priests (also seen in v.5)
2. “holy” – He’s holy – we become Holy
3. He’s God’s possession – We’re God’s possession!
4. Jesus proclaimed the excellencies of His Father – Now we do it!
F. The WHOLE point of this passage TO US: EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE IS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS.
IV. THIRD - A right relationship with the Son of God is based on Continuously drawing near to the Christ of the Word! (vs. forever rejected)
1 Peter 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
A. “And Coming” = “Continuously coming” = “Continuously drawing near”
1. NO “And” there.
2. Continuously Coming (Present Middle Participle)
a) Present = Continuously
b) Middle = You participate in the action
c) Participle = picks up the context of the imperative “LONG FOR” in v.2
(1) Participles following imperatives detail out HOW the imperative is to operative
(2) “Long for” / Insatiably thirst / Crave is SEEN in the CONTINUOUSLY COMING TO THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE SON OF GOD!
(a) Continuously come for more!
d) WORD means to COME and STAY = DRAW NEAR
(1) Usage in HEBREWS!
(a) Verb used 7X
(b) At least 5X translated “draw near”
Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
e) So come with EMPHASIZE on continuousness and drawing near / staying / abiding
f) CONTINUOUSLY DRAW NEAR TO JESUS CHRIST!
g) John 6:35,37,44,45,65; 7:37 = BELIEVERS are those WHO “COME” to Christ
(1) What do we say? “I came to Christ!” = saved!
h) You’re being told to CONTINUOUSLY come to CHRIST - THROUGH HIS WORD!
B. “To Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God”
1. “To Him” refers back to the “Lord” of V.3
2. Who is the “Lord” of V.3?
a) “a living stone which has been rejected by men”
(1) Root Verb means “tested for the sake of approval”
(2) Here: form means EXAMINED / TESTED and then REJECTED / DISCARDED.
(3) Interesting that EVERY OTHER TIME this verb is used it just points out the act of rejection
(a) Here it is a perfect tense
(b) ALL THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE REJECTION AND ITS CONTINUING RESULTS OF ONGOING REJECTION
b) “but is choice and precious in the sight of God”
(1) Greek is MUCH more BLUNT than this!
(a) Literally: “by men, indeed rejected, BUT BESIDE GOD – CHOICE, PRECIOUS!
(i) SHARP, BLUNT CONTRAST
(2) God chose Him!
(a) “choice” = ELECT as we spoke of
(3) “precious” =Costly, highly-prized, rare!
c) All through the book of Acts – the Apostles kept reminding them
(1) You nailed Him to the cross – GOD RAISED HIM!
(2) God exalted Him – Made Him both LORD AND CHRIST!
(3) Story of ACTS: You guys PICKED THE WRONG CORNERSTONE!
C. We are to just DO what it SAYS TO DO!
1. We CONTINUOUSLY DRAW NEAR to
a) The CHRIST OF THE WORD
b) Through the WORD OF CHRIST!
D. Transition: A right relationship with the Son of God
1. Through the Word of Christ
2. Because of Who He is
3. Based on Continuously drawing near to the Christ of the Word
4. …
V. A right relationship with the Son of God is building you up as living stones.
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
A. Flow
1. 2:1-3 SINCE the LORD HAS BEEN GRACIOUS
a) YOU LONG FOR / CRAVE THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD – THE WORD OF CHRIST
b) SO THAT you may be GROWN IN RESPECT TO SALVATION!
2. TO WHOM you CONTINUOUSLY DRAW NEAR
a) [SO THAT] you can be BUILT UP
(1) as living stones
(2) as a spiritual house
(3) for a holy priesthood
(4) to offer up spiritual sacrifices…
b) How do your grow in respect to salvation? Through the building up…!
3. 1:22-2:3 is BIBLO-CENTRIC – ALL ABOUT WORD
4. 2:4 TRANSITIONS from the WORD to CHRIST and Peter SAYS
a) I’ve been telling you all this from the WORD OF CHRIST POV
b) NOW – let me SAY the SAME THING from the CHRIST OF THE WORD POV
c) Tell you this in terms of JESUS CHRIST
d) The PERSON you are COMING TO THROUGH THE WORD!
5. We TRANSITION FROM WORD TO CHRIST here
6. AND – It’s the ONLY verse in this section FOCUSED on US!
a) Except it is all because of Jesus Christ (acceptable to God thru Jesus Christ)
b) ABOUT us BECAUSE of HIM
B. Let’s look at this! V.5
1. you also, as living stones,
a) Covered in our understanding the We are ONLY what we are BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS!
b) We become living stones
c) Come to Christ and become like Christ!
d) Being living stones tells us of our UNITY with Him!
(1) See this through out the metaphor
(2) United as stones
(3) United in the same building
(4) United in holiness
(5) United as priests…
(6) Christians = Little Christ’s! (literally)
2. are being built up
a) The verb switches here from the previous command context now to INSTRUCTIONAL / DOCTRINAL teaching on our POSTION!
b) Passive – GOD IS BUILDING
c) Verb means “to build a house!”
d) God IS BUILDING US UP INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE!
(1) Jesus Christ is the cornerstone
(2) Adding us as stones
(3) God is the BUILDER
(4) ONE house!…
3. as a spiritual house
a) “Spiritual House” = figurative description of the CHURCH as a TEMPLE.